Child Poverty Action Group

"It was an initiative by Harriett Wilson some twenty years ago that led to the
formation of the Child Poverty Action Group. She brought her concern about
poverty in Britain to the Social & Economic Affairs Committee (one of the
predecessors of Quaker Social Responsibility & Education) who organized
a meeting of about twenty concerned people at Toynbee Hall... During the
meeting the decision to form the group simply made itself. I was then asked
whether the Society of Friends would sponsor it. As I stood up to reply I was
in a deep dilemma. I could not escape the awe-inspiring feeling that
history was being made; it was right for the Society to have brought those
concerned together, but it was not for us, as a small religious body, to
undertake the political operations which would obviously be needed to
achieve the group's objective.

"In the event the CPAG was formed as a non-denominational charitable
body. It has grown into one of the most effective pressure groups in the
country, and one of the ways by which Friends could help to alleviate the
undoubtedly increasing poverty would be to support the group.

"Apart from campaigning for a better deal for the poor generally, the
Child Poverty Action Group advised people on how to make sure that
they get the welfare provisions to which they are entitled; and the group
brings test cases to that end."